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I started off making a paper shape of the guards and then sculpting a corresponding piece out of clay. I'll make a mold of the clay sculpt and pour a plaster cast that I can sand and make better
I'll then make a mold of that so I can make the guard in fiberglass cause I just know these are gonna take some abuse and I'll be able to make new ones when they break / disappear
I'll also design the spike / spike holder to screw to the guard and also be easily replaced when they break away
Probably have to carry extra ones while out troopin'

You made it the same way I did Hubby did the whole fiberglass dealio too for the toe gaurd. Only, I am thinking about casting new spikes outta foam rubber, so that I don't have to stock up on toe spikes. It's up to hubby.

The gaurd made outta fiberglass is fine. I had no probs whatsoever. And, it looks better with the rubnbuff than foam/rubber does. But, the spike is the most abused part, that's why I considered the foam rubber for that spike. So, it can go POING! like a door stop I also considered doing the spike as a two part mold, with the same type of plastic that goes into the "unbreakable" combs. Oooh.. E6000 my fav glue

The place where it breaks all the time is between the spike and the base/holder (where you have yours made of sculpey.) Yeah, that would be cool to try your shin material. How does rubnbuff look on your shin material?

Well,
I just tried a splotch of rub n buff on some scrap shin plastic. It seems to work fine.....granted I haven't put it to practical use yet.

I think the shin plastic will work. It is even close in color to the spike. I'm heating up the spike right now in the oven I'll put the spike and the holder together and mold one solid piece. I can screw through the fiberglass toe guard and into the spike holder with two screws. I tried a scrap piece of the plastic with some screws and it takes a lot of work to pull the screw out. I even heated up a piece in the microwave first to soften it and it was still really hard to pull the screw out. I think with some epoxy along with the screw, they should be really tough. That plastic is flexible enough it won't fracture like resin.....I'll know more in a couple days after going through the triple molding process.

I've re- made my molds ... again I cleaned up the first casting to get a nice second mold. I then poured a new master in liquid plastic but on one of them, I must not have put enough mold release and well, I destroyed the mold. Now I've gotta wait til I get more rubber.

I might try throwing the plastic casting on the vac table and see how they vaccuum form. I'm not sure if I like that plastic though.

I'm trying really hard to get back in gear on this costume! I have just been so discouraged with the bodysuit and well, I've been really busy too!

The mold I ruined was on one of the toe guards. My mold for the spike is fine, I've just gotta decide which casting material is the best. I've made a few different ones with a couple different types of liquid plastic. I think the softer plastic that I use for the shin guards is the best because it is flexible and won't break. The natural color is also similiar to the base color of the real toe spike

And yes, I know I have been called a perfectionist before. I'm not as bad as I was years ago. Along with being a little high strung, I think that's what initially gave me my ulcers

I haven't tested the toe spike mold with the new stuff you told me to use, as different parts need different types of plastic. But, I had planned on using the same stuff you used for the spikes. Jim fiberglassed my toe gaurds. So, we aren't gonna be making any more of those.

Most of our resins come from www.smoothon.com or something like it, but he used different types for different things. Combo from different sources. The first source was from some other brand. That's why you may think it's different. It may also have the lesser weight than my first castings. (Trying to get my pieces lighter to wear, so that it doesn't feel like we are carrying a ton of bricks around.)

Everything I've used is also from smooth-on.com
The shin guard material and the rubber both.
I've only tried a small batch of the smooth cast 310 plastic. I used it to make masters of my toe guard sculpts. Is this what you've been using? Also, if it is how do you control your air bubbles? I probably shouldn't follow the directions on the trial bottles which say "shake well". That is probably a stupid idea because it mixes more air into it.

The main reason I'm asking is because I'm helping a garrison member make some parts for his R2 and his tie pilot. He sculpted his own chest box pieces and wants to make them out of a good plastic.

Well, the smooth cast 310 isn't a good idea for vac forming. The heat and the pressure causes all the sharp edges to round over and wrinkle dangit...
Now my masters are ruined and I definitely have to wait until the next batch of rubber arrives to make new molds.

I am not sure, we did use something in the 300 series...305 mebbe? and we didn't vac form anything. Everything we made was with reg rubber molds with resin casting. I don't know how it would hold against a vac table heating element. Different molds have different pouring methods to keep out the bubbly. Some high some low, and with some aggitation or coating or teasing with a popsicle stick. Oh and I think Zam I Ain't has had everything bad that has ever happened under the sun with our molds. Wrong temperature, too many air pockets, catalyst probs.. you name it. Oh, make sure that you learn how to re-use your molds so that you don't waste &#36;&#36;. IE, use them as gap fillers, instead of clean clay.

After going through some experimenting phases with vac forming and then molding problems, I've finally found the process I want to use ... good ole' fiberglass
I had to make a new mold for the spike piece now Hopefully have some pics of those up asap.
enjoy

After finally getting a master good enough to make a "good" mold from, I've finished the spikes. They are made from the same urethane material I make the shins with. They're flexible and won't break. See bottom pic. enjoy

Again, this is a flexible yet very firm material. The entire spike / spike holder is molded as one piece. I painted / weathered the holder section and then lightly added some coloring to the spike part. The plastic is naturally a yellowish bone color so not much needed on that side.